Washing and drying clothes and the like



Nov. 10, 1959 R. F. LANTZ ETAL 1,8

WASHING AND DRYING CLOTHES AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 6, 1955 sSheets-Sheet 1 I V 5o 7 5 17 /5 so 17 +3 INVENTORj RAY F.LANTZ, HARRY a.sco-rr, RICHARD L. PERL w TRUMAN a. cLmeK BY aTl-onm'zys- Nov. 10, 1959R. F. LANTZ ETAL WASHING AND DRYING CLOTHES AND THE LIKE Filed NOV. 6,1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 RICHARD L. PERL n/vo TIQUMA N CLARK wwzw/Zn-rroxzwzxs.

New. 10, 195% R F. LANTZ ETAL 2,911,810

WASHING AND DRYING CLOTHES AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 6, 1953 5Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS RAYf. LANTZ.

HARRY R. 56077,

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Nov. 10, 1959 R. F. LANTZ ETAL 2,

WASHING AND DRYING CLOTHES AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 6, 1953 5Sheets-Sheet 4 9 INVENTORJY RAY ELANTZ,

HARRY B. SCOTT, RICH/9720 L.PERL 6ND Tin/MAN B. CLARK.

0114.44 'W A B y Nov. 10, 1959 R. F. LANTZ ETAL WASHING AND DRYINGCLOTHES AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 6, 1953 mm p H h 0m-wma%- mmo a p. V P. 0 m 5,? T RDN M RA m HM 7 H n u Am km H3 Muzak.

USQG W10 QM EN bath United States Patent Ray F. Lantz and Harry R.Scott, Mansfield, Richard L. Perl, Galion, and Truman B. Clark,Mansfield, Ohio,

zslslignors to The Tappan Company, a corporation of Application November6, 1953, Serial No. 390,512

5 Claims. (Cl. 68-12) The present improvements, relating as indicated tothe washing and drying of clothes and the like, have more particularregard to a novel automatic laundry machine especially adapted forhousehold use and characterized by an improved mode of operation.

Commercial large-scale laundry machines have long been known in the art,as have also relatively small machines, which more or less reproducedthe action of hand washing. The most time-consuming and burdensome workremaining in the home laundry was, therefore, the handling of the heavywet clothes while passing the same through a wringer and subsequentlyhanging them to dry, whether on a clothesline, out of doors, or Within agas heated cabinet. Even when automatic dryers were developed includingrotary baskets mounted for high speed centrifugal action, it wasnecessary for the housewife to transfer the wet clothing from thewashing machine to such dryers. Much more recently, combined washing anddrying machines have been developed for household use, wherein ahorizontally mounted basket is first rotated at fairly high speed totumble clothes in the wash Water and later rotated at still higher speedto centrifuge the water therefrom preparatory to the passage of heatedair through the tumbling clothes to dry or substantially dry the same.These operations have been made automatic so that after charging andsetting the machine, the housewife may leave it to perform its tasks andreturn at her leisure to remove the dried clothing therefrom.

A number of disadvantages, however, flow from reliance upon centrifugalforce to tumble the clothes and later to extract the rinse watertherefrom. The high speeds of rotation necessitate special bearings andtransmissions, careful balance both in the design of the machine and thedisposition of the clothing therein, special automatic controls to stopthe machine in the event unbalance and excessive vibration neverthelessdevelop, elaborate suspension means to reduce destructive vibration andnoise, and very heavy construction generally. Consequently, such amachine is rather complicated and expensive to manufacture and maintain,and its weight serves to increasing shipping charges and difficulties ofinstallation. The centrifuging of the water outwardly through theperforations in the drum or basket furthermore tends to drag the fabricsinto such openings or perforations with consequent distortion andstressing thereof, this being a particularly undesirable feature in thecase of various sheer fabrics.

It is a primary object of our invention to avoid the above-noteddisadvantages by providing an improved machine so designed and operatedthat both washing and drying are achieved therein without the employmentof high speed rotation for centrifuging water from the clothes orproducing the desired tumbling action.

It is also an object of the invention to improve the washing, rinsingand drying stages of operation of such machine to obtain a highlyefficient cleansing action and reasonably rapid drying.

Another object is to provide a perforated tumbling basket in ahorizontal type laundry machine having baffies or fins designedrepeatedly to drain partially and tumble the clothes during a washingoperation by mechanically lifting the same out of the wash water andtransporting them to the top of the basket without the employment ofcentrifugal force.

An additional object is to provide a combined washerdryer designed toachieve a circulation of the clothing axially of the basket as well ascircumferentially therein.

It is a further object to provide a combined washerdryer wherein excesswater is efiectively drained from the clothes by gravity during a dwellbetween the washing and drying operations, rather than being extractedby high speed rotation or other mechanical means acting on the clothes.

Another object is to provide a laundry machine of the rotatable receivertype wherein the rate of rotation is held belowa certain maximum speednot only to avoid mechanical operating problems, but also to eliminatethe necessity for uniform clothing distribution and to avoid theunnecessary wear and tear to which such clothing is subjected bycentrifuging.

It is a further object of our invention to provide an automatic controlsystem for a combined washer-dryer which is responsive to water pressureand temperature at certain stages of the operating cycle andautomatically timed at other stages of such cycle. Thus, the machinewill not proceed to subsequent stages of operation if a preliminarystage has not been properly completed.

A still further object is to provide such a control system including atimer the operation of which is subject to water pressure at the startof washing and in subsequent deep rinsing and to temperature fortermination of the automatic cycle.

Other objects and advantages of our improved construction and method ofoperation will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the inventionthen comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularlypointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexeddrawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of theinvention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the variousways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective vieW of a machine embodying our inventioncomplete with an outer decorative cabinet;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the machine taken transversely just to therear of the front and control panels to disclose the operating parts;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 in Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the fins with which thebasket is equipped;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevational view of the machine;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation as viewed from the left in Fig. l with thatside cabinet panel removed;

Fig. 7 is a fragmetary plan view of the basket illustrating the actionof one fin on a charge of clothing;

Fig. 8 is a simplified front elevation of the machine illustrating themanner in which water is supplied thereto;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to that of Fig. 8, but indicating the hot airsupply and circulation through the basket;

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic representation of a control system for themachine;

Fig. 11 is a time chart indicating the periods of energization of theseveral control circuits which make up the control system of Fig. 10;and

Fig. 12 is a diagram of a slightly modified control system.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and particularly to Fig. 1, itwill be seen that the operating parts of our machine are enclosed withina cabinet comprising top, front and side panels, with the front panelhaving a door 11 therein which may be opened to permit clothing andother fabrics to be placed in and removed from the machine. Door 11 isprovided with a conventional latch 12 and observation window 13.

Since our tub assembly is mounted independently of the cabinetstructure, as will appear hereinafter, it is preferred that the cabinetpanels be individually readily removable for facility of inspection andmaintenance of the operating mechanism. The manually settable controlsused are grouped in pairs indicated generally at A and B and mounted ona separate control panel 14 which is slightly inclined to enhancereadability of the control settings.

The front and side panels of the cabinet are suitably interengaged attheir adjoining edges, and removably secured at their bottoms to thebase 15 which supports the tub assembly. The tub 16 is mounted on thebase by means of the several support posts 17, and it will be noted thatthe tub is thus rigidly secured and mounted on the base whollyindependently of the enclosing cabinet.

Tub 16 is cylindrical and provided with an inwardly curved rear wall 18and a forward wall 19 in which an opening 20 is provided. A shaft 21,supported by a cross bar 22 extending transversely of the tub rear wall,extends through such wall and axially rotatably supports the perforatedtumbling basket or drum 23.

The basket has a generally conical rear wall 24 to which the forward endof shaft 21 is secured, and a front wall 25 having an opening 26 alignedwith the opening of the tub. Both the front and rear basket walls areimperforate; and a splash guard 27 is provided to deflect liquids awayfrom the fit of shaft 21, mounted in sleeve type bearings 28, with thetub rear wall 18. As will be seen in Fig. 3, a resilient sealing ring orgasket 29, having a smooth inner surface so as not to interfere withproper tumbling of the clothes, is positioned in the openings of thefront panel and tub to engage the door and further seal the spacebetween tub and cabinet.

Arranged in circumferential uniformly spaced relation about the innerwall of the basket 23 are three fins 30 adapted repeatedly to lift anddrop the clothes when the basket is rotated. It is to be noted that eachsuch fin is asymmetrical with respect to the basket radii, and in thismanner, the leading surfaces 31 of the fins, with the basket normallyrotating in a clockwise direction as shown by the arrow, are angledslightly forwardly with respect to the direction of basket rotation. Thefins are of substantial height, preferably equal to approximatelyone-third of the basket radius, and are abruptly bevelled at the ends 32thereof to provide relatively unobstructed portions at the respectiveends of the basket. As shown, the fins are likewise perforated, with theexception of the ends 32, and of hollow construction with the hollowsthereof communicating directly with the space between the basket and tubwalls.

The door sealing ring 29 extends inwardly'to the basket opening 26 toprevent pieces of the laundry placed in the machine from beingaccidentally deposited in the forward space between the tub and basket.However, the ring is deformable, and in machine operation small pieces,such as handkerchiefs, socks and the like, may be worked into such spaceand travel to the bottom of the tub outside the basket wall. In order toprovide an operator convenient access to this space so that any sucharticles may be readily retrieved, one of our fins 30 is modified asshown in Fig. 4 by the provision of a door 33 therein. The door islocated in the trailing fin side with respect to basket rotation and isof a size such to permit an operators hand to pass easily therethrough.Since the fins are hollow and set in substantial openings in the basketwall to communicate directly with the space between such wall and thetub wall, it will be obvious that an operator can, with the machinestopped, open door 33 and reach into the space. By rotating the basketmanually access may be had in this manner to the entire annular spacebetween basket and tub.

An opening 34 is provided in the upper side Wall of the tub at a pointslightly to the right of center as viewed from the front, and watersupplied therethrough by means of the spaced nozzle 35 which isconnected by tube 36 to the water mixing and supply valve indicatedgenerally at 37. Leading from such valve are two hoses 38 and 39 adaptedto be conected to the hot and cold water supply pipes.

At the top of the tub and to the left of center when viewed from thefront is an air supply manifold 40 within which a gas burner 41 ispositioned to heat the air circulating through the same. It will beunderstood that the source of heat need not be a burner of this nature,but may as well be an electric heater or other suitable heating means,as desired. The manifold communicates with an opening 42 in the tub walland baflles 43 located in the adjacent space between the tub and basketconfine the air supplied through such opening. These bafiles may beattached as separate elements or may be formed by turning the side edgesof the opening 42 inwardly. In order to insure against any spray fromthe water nozzle entering the burner box, an additional baffle 44 may beprovided at the drum top as shown. Baffie 44 can be added as a separateelement or the drum edges at a seam in the wall thereof turned inwardlyand located at the top to serve the same function, the latterarrangement additionally strengthening the drum. Manifold 40 has anouter wall 45 spaced both from the adjacent cabinet side panel and theclosed manifold bottom, as shown, while the end walls and bottom extendto the panel. This construction forms a duct for the air drawn throughthe manifold which requires the same to flow across the top, down theoutside of wall 45 and into the manifold through the opening between thelower end of this wall and the bottom. The burner neck 46 is suppliedwith gas through a conventional control valve 47 which is in turnconnected to a source of gas by means of the hose 48, preferably througha suitable regulator, not shown. A manually operable valve 49 may beprovided in the gas line before the automatic valve and such regulator.

Both the water and air are, therefore, supplied to the tub and basketnear the top thereof, and a common sump 50 is provided at the bottom ofthe tub for removal of the same. Connected to the sump is a water pump51 operative to withdraw the water collected therein and to discharge itthrough an outlet hose 52. Also connected to the pump by means of thehose 53 and tube 54 is a Water pressure responsive switch 55 having acontrol function to be described hereinafter.

At the opposite side of the sump is a duct 56 leading in a directiongenerally opposite to that of basket rotation and curving about theright side of the tub to the housing 57 within which an exhaust blower Fis mounted. This blower operates to withdraw air from the tub throughthe sump 50 and to discharge the same into the outlet duct 58 having anexhaust opening 59 at the top rear of the cabinet. A removable screenfilter 60 is provided in the exhaust opening.

As will appear most clearly from Fig. 5, a single drive motor 61,likewise mounted on the base 15, is provided to drive both the shaft 21for rotating the basket and the blower shaft 62. Connected to the motorshaft 63 by a sheave 64 is a drive belt 65 which also engages about amuch larger sheave 66 on an intermediate jack shaft 67. This lattershaft is secured at its inner end to a slide plate 68 movable verticallyin the bracket 69 attached to a channel member 70 on the drum rear walland is resiliently biased by means of spring 71 engaged therewith andwith a bracket 72 on the base of the machine. The shaft 21 is drivenfrom shaft 67 by means of the further belt 73 connected to sheave 66 andto a large pulley or sheave 74 on the former, the indirect drive ofshaft 21 providing the necessary reduction in basket speed of rotation.In order to afford ready adjustment of the tensioning of both belts 65and 73, bracket 69 is slightly wider than plate 68 so that shaft 67 maybe laterally, as well as vertically, adjusted. If desired, suitablegearing may be used in lieu of part or all of the illustrated belttransmission. Although the blower F need be operative only in the dryingstage of machine operation, and, therefore, could be controlledaccordingly, we have shown the drive motor shaft 63 connected directlyto blower shaft 62 by the belt 75. In this arrangement, which iseconomical in that no particular blower control is required, the blowerwill operate whenever the drive motor is energized.

In the operation of our machine, the basket 23 is rotated by the drivemeans described at a constant speed insufficient to centrifugeappreciably the contents thereof in either the Washing or drying stageof machine operation. The speed of rotation at which the clothing willbe noticeably centrifuged is dependent in part upon the diameter of thebasket, and may be calculated in accordance with known principles. InReissue Patent No. 22,375, the centrifuging action of machines of thisgen eral type is discussed in detail and the minimum speed forcentrifuging indicated as determinable by the following formula:

2500 Drum radius in feet It is, therefore, quite easily determined atwhat speed any given diameter basket may be rotated without centrifugingthe contents thereof. As a specific example, we have operated a machinewith a basket having a diameter of 26" and found a speed approximatelyequal to 36 revolutions per minute to be optimum for our purposes withaverage loading of such a machine. This speed may be revised somewhatboth upwardly and downwardly, for example, with variation in the typeand amount of fabrics to be treated, and we have found a range on theorder of 30 to 42 r.p.m. to be satisfactory, with a preferredintermediate range of 34 to 38 r.p.m., for a basket having a diameter inthe neighborhood of two feet. The axial length of this basket isapproximately equal to twothirds the diameter thereof.

Before considering the overall machine operation and automatic cyclingthereof, the action obtained individually in the successive stages ofwashing, rinsing, and drying will be set forth.

Washing Due to the fact that the basket 23 is rotated at slow speed,reliance is placed solely upon the fins 30 to accomplish the desiredlifting and dropping, or tumbling, of the clothing or other fabricsplaced therein. As noted earlier, these fins are of substantial heightand have forwardly inclined leading surfaces 31 as well as sharplybevelled ends 32. In a washing operation, the machine is, of course,partly filled with water at a desired temperature and a suitable soap ordetergent is added thereto. It is preferred that the level of washingsolution should not exceed the aproximate height of the fins, or inother words, one-third the basket radius, although such level may belower than this if the charge of clothing is below normal weight.

As the basket is rotated at a speed such that the contents will not becentrifuged, the fins 30 move through the washing solution and pick up aportion of the clothes. Because of the noted relationship between thefin height and the maximum liquid level, movement of the clothes throughthe solution will also carry along a major portion of the latter, withthe result that the liquid level behind a thus moving fin issubstantially reduced, With reference to Fig. 7, this movement alsocreates a substantial countfll'fiOW around the bevelled ends 32 of thefin which tends to move the clothes or portions thereof at therespective ends of the mass axially inwardly as shown by the arrows. Inthis manner, a portion of the clothes mass tends to be displaced in agenerally axial direction.

The fins 30 will carry the clothes to a considerable elevation beforethe same will drop and fall across the basket. It will be seen from Fig.8 that the falling clothes strike the basket in an unobstructed portionthereof and approach the same at a large angle. This is to bedistinguished from a centrifugal tumbling action wherein the fallingclothes follow an elliptical path and engage the basket at a smallangle, almost tangentially. Because of the large angle and the fact thatthe liquid level in the landing zone has been substantially reduced bythe action of the next succeeding fin, as explained, the clothes willland with considerable impact which effectively jars wash water, dirtparticles and the like therefrom. The clothes are then picked up byanother fin and this action repeated for the duration of the washingoperation.

Due to the slow speed of operation, the falling clothes are notsubjected to a uniform force, as in a centrifugal machine, and whendropped may fall to different points along the backet axis. In otherwords, the tumbling of the clothes is not wholly circumferential, butsubject to various axial influences as well. This, of course, assists inexposing the clothes surfaces to maximum extent and thereby improves thecleansing action. By leading duct 56 to the right of the sump, orgenerally opposite to the basket rotation, rather than to the left, anytendency for water to be forced up the same is reduced and a moreeflicient use of the water obtained.

Rinsing As noted earlier, the water inlet nozzle 35 is located adjacentthe opening 34 in the side wall of the tub near the top thereof and inadvance of center. The opening is, therefore spaced forwardly of thedropping point of the clothes, and as shown in Fig. 8, the nozzle 35 isdirected at an angle such that the water is sprayed in a path convergentto that of the falling clothes. The point of impingement is below theactual dropping point and, of course, lateral relative to the clothes.Nozzle 35 preferably discharges the water in a fan-shaped sprayextending generally lengthwise of the basket to facilitate passagethrough the basket openings'and to subject substantially all exposedsurfaces of the falling clothes directly to the spray. This arrangementprovides excellent rinsing, since the clothes are distributed axiallyand unfold or spread out in falling, the spray being directed againstthe side of the thus distributed mass.

It will be evident that in machines of this type wherein the laundry istumbled in a substantially horizontal basket, the side of the fallingmass of laundry exposes much more of the surfaces thereof than do therespective ends. A lateral spray of considerable velocity, such as weprovide, is, therefore, considerably more efficient in removing washwater, detergents and the like from the clothes than an end spray. It isalso to be noted that in our rinsing, the dirt is not forced through theclothes but is carried along by the water falling down on the outside ofthe same. The machine may be operated to provide a series of sprayrinses of the nature set forth either with or without deep rinsing, thelatter being comparable to the washing action discussed above.

Drying The improved drying action will now be described with referenceto Fig. 9 wherein the clothes are again shown following the tumblingpath. It will be understood as the clothes become progressively drier,they become fluifed out and, therefore, require more volume for propertumbling than would normally obtain in a machine designed solely forwashing. In our combined washer-dryer this added volume requirement isadequately met by the sharp bevelling of the fin ends, which permits thedrying clothes to expand into the relatively unobstructed basket endportions. While the conical rear wall of the illustrated basket 23protrudes only slightly into the basket, as shown, this Wall could bemade flat if additional space is desired.

As indicated in the foregoing, the general circulation of heated airproduced by the blower is downwardly through the basket. The intake airfor manifold must be drawn across the cabinet top and around the tub, byvirtue of the duct formed partially by manifold wall 45, and theresultant circulation of air beneath the top cabinet panel particularlyprevents the same from becoming undesirably hot. In addition, theincoming air will be preheated by contact with the exhaust duct 56 andthe tub walls. After passing over the burner 41, the air is directed bythe baffles 43 into the basket. The baffles are so positioned that theair is supplied at the approximate dropping zone of the clothes, andsince the air is removed at the bottom of the container, it will flow ina path generally coincident with the falling clothes, thereby to obtainmaximum absorption of moisture therefrom. It is to be noted, however,that the clothes fall to a point slightly to the rear of the sump sothat the air must actually go through the falling clothes to bewithdrawn. These two actions, namely the general flow with the clothes,and the crossing over of the respective paths of air and falling clothesenables the latter to be completely dried in a reasonably rapid time.

The tendency for the clothes to become displaced axially noted inconnection with the washing action also obtains in drying but for adifierent reason. In washing, it will be remembered, the counteifiow ofliquid around the fin ends tends to carry some or portions of theclothes therewith. Tests of the drying operation have been conductedwith varied colored pieces of fabric and, by viewing the tumbling actionthrough the door window, it has been observed that such pieces appear,move out of sight, and later re-appear, thus indicating that generallyaxial displacement also occurs in this stage. It is believed, in thisinstance, that the clothes are actually continually pushed into thebasket end regions in spreading out and pulled back by the finengagement causing random but definite axial circulation in addition tothe normal circumferential distribution.

Since the basket is operated at a relatively low speed, it is possibleto supply both the water and air thereto in the manner described. If thebasket were rotated at high centrifuging speeds, the perforations wouldrequire to be quite small to prevent damaging distortion of the fabricstherethrough by centrifugal force, and the combination of high speed andsmall openingswould militate against the type of supply set forth above.For this reason, centrifuging machines ordinarily supply the water andair from an end of the machine, generally the front end, with aconsequent reduction in efficiency of operation.

However, in our construction it is possible to use perforations offairly large diameter, and it is preferred that the same be on the orderof one-fourth inch in both the basket 23 and fins 30. The fins beingopen at their bases, which are of considerable area, and alsoperforated, do not present any obstruction to either the water or airsupply. In fact, they tend to facilitate the water spray action.

The above three stages of machine operation are, of course, combined toprovide complete cleansing and drying of the clothes, and although therinsing particularly is subject to variation in the number and type ofrinses provided, the overall machine operation includes an essentialstep in the extraction of excess water before drying. It has been notedthat such water has conventionally been extracted by centrifuging andfurther that our improved machine is specifically designed to avoid anyhigh speed operation. In lieu of spin extraction, we provide a dwellperiod intermediate the washing and drying operations during which thebasket, and hence the clothes, are held stationary for a predeterminedinterval to permit the excess water to drain therefrom by gravity.

Actual tests have shown that such a dwell period on the order of fiveminutes is sufficient to remove enough excess water from the clothes sothat the same may thereafter be thoroughly dried in a reasonable timewhich compares favorably to that of machines employing spin extraction.In one test, nineteen pounds of thus drained excess Water was removedfrom the machine by our drying in one hour, this period of time beingapproximately that required to dry completely a normal laundry load onthe order of seven pounds in the machine given as a specific example inthe foregoing. A period of ten minutes is usually sufficient forwashing. The complete operation, therefore, comprises low speed tumblingof the clothes in both washing and drying, such that the clothes are notcentrifuged, with an intermediate stationary period of predeterminedduration between the two.

Control The complete operation of the combined washer-dryer will perhapsbe best understood if described in connection with a control systemuseable therewith. One such system is illustrated in Fig. 10, to whichreference is now made. The machine is equipped with four controls, A A Band B which may be manipulated by an operator conveniently at the frontof the machine to select the desired washing and drying conditions.Control A is a conventional thermostatic switch suitably positioned soas to be responsive to temperature within the tub and adjustable inwell-known manner, A is operative to regulate the temperature of thewater supplied to the tub from the mixing valve 37, likewiseconventional, B controls setting of the liquid presure responsive switch55, and B is a selector for conditioning the machine to perform theparticular operation desired by the operator.

Selector B is operatively associated with a sequence controller 99 of acommercially available type comprising a clockwork mechanism, not shown,and a plurality of switch contacts operable thereby in accordance with apreset sequence. The selector itself is also conventional and has ashaft which may be moved axially as well as rotated to selectedposition. The axial movement is here utilized to control the main linecontacts 91 which connect the terminal block 92 to the supply terminals93 when closed, while manual selector rotation makes and breaks therespective controller contacts dependent on the degree of rotation, aswell-understood in the art. In this system, the sequence controlleroperates the switch contacts indicated at a through g with the closureof such contacts being indicated in operative sequence by the filled-inblocks of the correspondingly designated lines of the time chart of Fig.11.

Assuming now that it is desired to perform a manually controlled washingoperation, the operator will, after charging the machine, actuatecontrol B to obtain the proper amount of water for the particular load,set control A for the desired water temperature, and rotate selector Bto a manual setting either before or after moving the knob axially,preferably outwardly. The first noted adjustment determines the tubwater pressure at which switch 55 will operate automatically to stop thewater supply. This switch comprises a contact member 98 connected to oneside of terminal block 92 and movable in response to tub water pressurebetween the two contacts 99 and 198. When the tube is empty, contact 98engages contact 100 which is connected through contacts c to the controlA when the tub is full, that is, at the selected amount, contact 98 willengage with contact 99, the latter being connected through contacts 6 toone side of the controller 90. The operator, therefore, adjustably setsthe condition at which contact member 98 moves out of engagement withcontact 100 to interrupt the energization circuit of water supplycontrol A While the extreme limits of switch 55 as described correspondto empty and full conditions, it will be apparent that the lower limitcould be set at a value slightly less than full so that the tub wouldnot require to be empty to start the supply of water. This latterarrangement would serve to maintain the proper Water level more closely.

By adjusting control A the operator moves the con tact 97 thereof intoselective engagement with one of the further contacts 94, 95 or 96.Contact 94 is connected to the cold side only of mixing valve 37;contact 95 to both cold and hot sides; and contact 96 to the hot sideonly. The two sides of the valve are also connected directly to theterminal block 92 to complete the respective circuits therethrough, and,either or both sides may, therefore, be energized through contact 97,controller contacts c, and the switch 55 to supply cold, medium or hotWater to the tub. The energization and metering actions of the valve, asindicated earlier, are conventional and well-known.

When the operator sets selector B at manual control position, contacts91 will close to connect terminal block 92 to the source of energycontacts 93, and controller contacts a and will also close. Closure ofcontacts a completes the circuit connecting drive motor 61 to theterminal block, while the closing of contacts c will connect valve 37 tothe block through the particular selected contacts of control A and thecontacts 98 and 100, the latter being engaged since the tub is empty ofwater at this point.

Water at the selected temperature will, therefore, be supplied to thetub until the proper amount is reached. At this point, contact 98disengages from contact 100, thus de-energizing the mixing valve circuitand stopping the water flow. Drive motor 61 will continue to rotate thebasket to tumble the clothes in the washing solution, a soap ordetergent having been added, until the operator stops the machine byreturning selector B to off position. The manual selector position isindicated by the first twofilled-in blocks of lines a and c in the Fig11 chart.

If, instead of the above-described manually controlled washing, theoperator desires automatic operation, selector B is moved to acorrespondingly marked position to close controller contacts e inaddition to contacts 91, a and 0. Controls A and B, will, of course,have been set as in the above, and the tub will be filled properly withthe wash water. Closure of the additional contacts e connects one sideof controller 90 to contact 99 of switch 55 which, it will beremembered, is engaged by contact 98 of the same switch when the desiredamount of water is in the tub. The controller energization circuit iscompleted by a further direct connection to the terminal block 92, andinitial energization is, therefore, dependent on water in the properamount being in the tub. With such condition, washing will proceed for apredetermined period of time indicated by the line e in Fig. 11.

At the end of this period, the controller 90 operates to close contacts1, thereby establishing a holding circuit directly across the terminalblock. Contacts g are also closed to energize pump 51, and the washingsolution is withdrawn from the tub. The holding circuit preventsde-energization of the sequence controller due to the resultant decreasein water pressure causing contact 98 to move out of engagement withcontact 99 and into engagement with contact 100.

Shortly thereafter, as shown in Fig. 11, contacts at are closed by thecontroller to energize a separate circuit to the cold side only ofmixing valve 37 through contacts 98 and 100 of the switch 55. Thisprovides cold water for the rinsing spray. Pump 51 is operative toremove water from the tub during the spray rinse period and thende-energized by opening of contacts g by the controller. Contacts f ofthe controller holding circuit are opened at the same time, and thewater level will rise in the tub to provide a deep rinse. When thepreviously selected 10 liquid level is reached, movable contact 98 willdisengage from contact 100 and move into engagement with contact 99 tode-energize the mixing valve and connect the sequence controller to theterminal block.

After this deep rinse of a duration determined by the controller,energization of the controller is again shifted by closure of thecontacts 1'' and opening of contact e, the pump 51 is again energized,and the rinse water supply temporarily interrupted by opening of thecontacts d. The rinse water is again supplied after a short interval,and the controller operative after a further period to open the contactsg and f and closing contact e to provide a second deep rinse in a mannersimilar to the first. Thus, there are provided two rinses in which theclothes or other fabrics are subjected to both spray and deep rinsing.It will be obvious that the number and type of rinses may be varied asdesired.

At the end of the final rinse, the sequence controller closes thecircuit to the pump and the holding circuit to remove the water from thetub, and, as shown in Fig. 11, the motor circuit is next interrupted byopening of the contacts a. Such contacts are held open for apredetermined interval to afford the dwell period discussed in theforegoing. During this period, the tub and wet clothes will bestationary, and excess water draining from the latter by gravity will beremoved by the pump, which is continuously operative in this portion ofthe cycle.

When the dwell period has substantially expired, switch contacts b inthe heater circuit are closed, and at the end of the dwell, the motorcircuit contacts a are closed to retumble the clothes. Contacts g areopened at the same time to shut off the pump which will now remaininoperative for the remainder of the cycle. The slight time delaybetween the closing of contacts b and a is to permit ignition of the gasburner by any suitable means such as a continually burning gas pilotflame without wasting the ignition time. Contacts 1; connect one side ofa gas valve solenoid 101 to terminal block 92 through contacts 102 and103, of a heat actuated mercury switch 104, and an operating overheatthermostat 105 responsive to tub temperature. The other side of solenoid101 is connected directly to the terminal block by lead 106. Anindicator lamp 107 connected to a second contact 108 of the switch 104provides a visual signal of the burner operation.

Valve 47 is of a type commonly used to provide a controlled flow of bothpilot and main burner gas, and is here under joint control of solenoid101 and a burner thermocouple 109, the latter having a failure overheatthermostat 110 responsive to burner box temperature and a quench coil111 in circuit therewith. Valve 47 includes a solenoid coil operable byweak electric current from thermocouple 109 to hold the valve in openposition, once it has been opened by solenoid 101. Heavier current tothe solenoid valve 47, such as provided from the secondary of quenchcoil 111, serves to pull the armature of this solenoidto a furtheradvance position, closing the valve. From this second position the valvecan be reopened only by operation of solenoid 10'1. Solenoid 101 isoperative whenever energized to close the normally open main gas outletand open the valve inlet, so that the valve can supply only pilot gas,while the inlet, once opened by the solenoid, is held open by properoperation of the thermocouple circuit. As shown, the quench coil is inparallel with the operating safety thermostat 105 responsive to tubtemperature so that the coil will be energized to interrupt the normalthermocouple control of the gas fiow when this thermostat opens.

' In operation of the burner, solenoid 101 will first be energizedthrough the normal engagement of contacts 102 and 103 to permit pilotgas to flow through valve 47. Switch 104 has its mercury bulb located inhousing H adjacent the burner to be responsive to pilot temperature andis essentially a time delay device for ignition. When the pilot has beenon for the period required to raise its temperature to the operatingvalue of switch 104, contact 103 disengages from contact 102, therebyde-energizing the solenoid and energizing indicator lamp 1 '7 to signalthat the burner is on. With proper ignition, heating of the thermocouple109 will have rendered the same operative to hold the valve open, andthe thermocouple circuit will thereafter control the gas supply. Shouldoperating thermostat 105 open in response to excessive tub temperature,the resultant energization of quench coil 111 will cause the gas valveto be shut 011. Note that the primary of the quench coil is shortcircuited through contacts 165 and contact b except when contacts 105open in response to excessive temperatures. The primary or quench coilis then energized from terminal block 2, completing the circuit throughthe moderate resistance of indicator light 107. Likewise, the valve willbe closed if failure thermostat 110 opens due to the temperature of theburner box becoming too high, for example, as the result of a blowerfailure stopping the normal flow of air through the box.

In normal drying then, air will be heated by the burner and circulatedthrough the basket to absorb moisture from the tumbling clothes in themanner set forth previously. This operation will continue for an initialpredetermined period of time, after which sequence controller 90 willopen contacts 1 in its holding circuit, as indicated at 114 in Fig. 11.Completion of the drying is now dependent upon closure of contacts 112and 113 of the adjustable thermostat A which may conveniently becalibrated in terms of degree of dryness of the clothes. In fullyautomatic machine operation, the desired adjustment of the thermostatwill, of course, be made when initially conditioning the machine toperform the complete cycle.

Contacts 112 and 113 will close to connect the controller through aseparate circuit to the terminal block when the selected temperature isreached. Should the tub not be at such temperature when contacts 7 areopened, the automatic cycle is not restablished until this conditionexists. When these contacts do close, or if they are already closed atthe point of interruption 114, the controler immediately again closescontacts 7 and opens contacts b, the latter action stopping the supplyof heat. The motor continues to tumble the clothes for a further periodto permit the same to cool and the controller then opens contacts a, fand 91 to shut off the machine.

It will be apparent from the above that an operator may, by suitablyactuating selector B alter or select particular portions of thedescribed automatic cycle as desired, and, therefore, that the rinsingand drying stages, as well as the washing. are subject to manual controland modification. Since the machine operates throughout at uniformspeed, there is no limitation on movement of the selector, as commonlyencountered in spin extracting machines wherein the motor speed requiresto be gradually increased and thus the selector provided with specialguards and the like to insure a particular sequence of controllercontact engagement in this stage.

In Fig. 12, we have illustrated a modified, and preferred, controlsystem which differs from that of Fig. '10 principally in the circuitscontrolling operation of the valve 47 and. hence, of the gas burner. Afurther change is the inclusion of a door switch as a safety feature toshut off the machine if the door is opened during operation, without,however, interrupting the flow of burner pilot gas. Unless indicatedotherwise in the following, those components common to both systems,shown by the like reference characters, are operative as described inconnection with Fig. 10.

The door switch. indicated generally at 200, is comprised of a firststationary contact 202 commonly in circuit with the several controllercontacts a through g and a movable contact 201 connected to the controlside of the main switch contacts 91. Contact 201 is suitably actuated bythe door to engage with contact 202 when 12 the door is closed and witha second stationary contact 203 when the door is open. It will be clearthat contacts 201 and 202 must be engaged for the machine to operate,and, therefore, that the machine will be stopped if running when thedoor is opened.

A wire 204 connects door switch contact 203 to one terminal 205 of theprimary winding of a solenoid 206, here used to control the pilot gassupply through the valve 47. This gas flows from the valve through aline 207 to the pilot 208. which is, of course, positioned adjacent themain burner to ignite the same. The other terminal 209 of the solenoidprimary is connected directly to terminal block 92 by wire 210, and thesolenoid will, therefore, be energized when door switch contacts 201,203 and the main switch contacts 91 are engaged. Terminal 205 is alsoconnected by a wire 211 directly to the control side of the contacts bto form a separate, and actually the normal, energization circuit forthe solenoid. The solenoid secondary winding supplies low voltage energyto the ignition coil 212.

The main gas flow through valve 47 is again under control of thethermocouple 109, which may be combined with pilot 208 to form a unitaryassembly, in circuit with the failure overheat thermostat and quenchcoil 111. In this case, howe er, the quench coil primary is connectedacross the terminal block through the contacts 112, 113 of the controlthermostat A to be energized by closure thereof. With this arrangement,the main gas supply is shut off when the thermostat A operates inresponse to tub temperature. A slightly different starting of the burneroperation is also obtained by means of the snap thermostat 213 insertedin circuit with the controller holding contacts f. Thus, the stationarycontact 214 of this thermostat is connected to one side of contacts f,while the movable contact 215 normally engaged therewith is connected tothe common lead from the door switch. The thermostat is located abovethe burner, and when actuated in response to the temperature thereof,contact 215 breaks with contact 214 and engages a further contact 216,the latter being connected to the terminal block through the indicatorlamp 107.

In operation of this modified system, adjustment of the several controlswill be made as in the Fig. 10 system, and the machine will proceedsimilarly through the washing, rinsing, and dwell stages, subject,however, to interruption by opening of the door. The closure of contactsb shortly before the end of the dwell energizes solenoid 206. by meansof the wires 210 and 211, and gas and energy will be supplied to thepilot and ignition coil, respectively. The controller contacts 1 areclosed at this point, the same having been closed after the final deeprinse, so that the controller is energized by its holding circuit. Aftera short period for ignition of the pilot, contacts 12 are opened tode-energize the solenoid, the thermocouple holding valve 47 open as inthe Fig. 10 system, and heating of the snap thermostat by the burnerwill cause the same to break the controller holding circuit and energizethe signal lamp. Operation of the controller will, therefore, be stoppedwith contacts a and f closed.

Since contacts a remain closed, the motor continues to run, driving thebasket to tumble the clothes and the blower to circulate the heated air,all as previously set forth. If the operator happens to open the door inthis drying stage, the motor will be stopped by the action of the doorswitch, and the solenoid will be energized through closure of contacts201 and 203 to shut off the supply of gas to the main burner whilecontinuing the pilot gas supply. The flow of gas to the pilot will bemaintained, with the burner off, while the door is open, so that it isunnecessary to re-ignite the pilot after the door is again closed. Whenthe drying has progressed to the point where the tub is at thetemperature selected by adjustment of control thermostat A the contacts112 and 113 will close to energize the quench coil 111.

13 This shuts oif the burner, and snap thermostat 213 cools tore-establish the controller holding circuit. The controller runs for afurther time to provide cooling of the clothes to safe handlingtemperature and then shuts off the machine.

It will be seen that operation of the controller contacts in themodified system will be as represented in the Fig. 11 time chart exceptfor the opening of contacts b at the end of the dwell period andelimination of the break 114 in the closure of contacts 1. Rather thanproviding an initial timed drying period, as in the Fig. system, withthe noted break to test tub temperature, the drying operation obtainedwith the system of Fig. 12 is initiated by proper burner functioning andterminated as soon as the control thermostat is actuated. The particularpilot control afforded by the door switch permits the main burner, onceoperating, to be shut off if the door is opened without requiringclosure of contacts b to re-ignite the pilot. It will also be evidentthat the Fig. 12 control eliminates the heat-actuated mercury switchused as a timer for the pilot in the system of Fig. 10.

Reviewing generally the normal automatic operation provided by bothsystems, an operator will place a charge of clothing in the basket andadd a quantity of soap or a detergent. The controls A A and B will beadjusted to select the desired degree of dryness, the wash watertemperature, and the amount of such water to be used, respectively.After next moving selector B to the automatic position marked thereon,the operator can then leave the machine unattended and it will proceedto wash and dry the clothes, shutting itself off when the operation iscompleted.

The basket rotates to lift and drop the clothes repeatedly withoutcentrifuging thereof, and water is supplied in the selected amount. Theclothes are tumbled in the wash solution for a predetermined time, andsuch solution is then withdrawn from the tub and basket. A succession ofspray and deep rinses follows to remove wash water and soap curds fromthe clothes, with the rinse Water spray striking against the side of theclothes as they fall.

The basket rotation is next stopped and excess water allowed to drainfrom the clothes as the same are held stationary in the bottom of thebasket. After this dwell period, the basket is again rotated at anon-centrifuging speed; and hot air now circulated downwardlytherethrough to absorb moisture from the tumbling clothes. When theclothes have been thus dried to the desired degree, whether this bepartially or completely dry, operation of the machine will stop.

Because of the shifting nature of the control employed, the automaticoperation will not proceed to subsequent Stages in the cycle if apreliminary stage has not been properly completed. Thus, the automaticoperation will not begin at all unless the proper amount of wash wateris in the tub, the rinsing is likewise dependent upon the proper amountof water in the tub, and completion of the drying operation dependent onthe attainment of the preselected tub temperature. The control,therefore, is not determined solely with respect to time, but is bothtime and condition responsive. Not only does this insure againstimproper operation, but it also provides self-compensation for thecommon variable factors which influence the time required to perform thewashing and drying. For example, the amount of time required to fill thetub is obviously dependent upon the pressure of the water supply, andvariations in such pressure would change the effective washing time ifthis operation was allotted a fixed time period. Likewise, the moisturecontent of the ambient air drawn in and circulated through the basket todry the clothes will be variable and hence affect the amount of timenecessary to dry the clothes to the desired degree.

While we have described a specific embodiment of our washer-dryer indetail as required by thepatent statutes, it will be evident thatvarious changes may be made both in the structure disclosed and itsparticular manner of operation. Certain possible modifications have beenmentioned in the foregoing, such as, the use of an electric heater inlieu of a gas burner to supply heat for drying, and variation in thenumber and type of rinses normally provided. In addition, closed systemsfor the circulation of the water and air may be used; a water condensermay be added to remove moisture and lint from the air before exhaustingthe same.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed,change being made as regards the details described, provided thefeatures stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent ofsuch, be employed.

We therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as ourinvention:

1. In a laundry machine wherein clothes and the like are washed andthereafter dried in a common receiver including, a substantiallyhorizontally disposed perforated rotary receiver, av constant speeddrive means including a motor operative to rotate said receiver at asub-centrifuging speed to tumble the clothes, water supply and inletmeans adjustably controlled to supply a preselected charge of water tothe machine, a timer operative to deenergize said motor after apredetermined washing period, pump means under control of said timer andoperative to remove water from the machine, heating means adapted toconduct heated air through the receiver and clothes for drying thewashed clothes and rendered operative by the timer after a dwell periodof motor deenergization and pump means operation during which excesswater is permitted to drain from the clothes and the receiver, saidtimer energizing the motor at the end of the dwell period to re-tumblethe clothes as heated air is supplied thereto, means for stoppingfurther operation of the timer shortly after the heat supply iscommenced, and means adjustably operative in response to machinetemperature to shut off the heat and start the timer again when thedesired temperature is reached in the machine, the timer thereaftercausing the motor to drive the machine for a further period to permitcooling of the clothes. 2

2. In a laundry machine wherein clothes and the like are washed andthereafter dried in a common receiver including, a substantiallyhorizontally disposed perforated rotary receiver, drive means adapted torotate said receiver and tumble the clothes therein, water supply meansoperative to supply a charge of water to the machine, a timer operativeto de-energize said drive means after a pre-determined washing period,means under control of said timer and operative to remove water from themachine, drying means adapted to conduct heated air through the receiverand clothes for drying the washed clothes and rendered operative by thetimer after the water is removed from the machine, said timerre-energizing the drive means after the water is removed, means relatedto the timer for stopping further operation of the timer shortly afterthe drying means is put into operation, and heat responsive meansrelated to the timer and adjustably operative to response to machinetemperature to shut off the drying means and start the timer again whenthe desired temperature is reached in the machine, the timer thereaftercausing the drive means to rotate the receiver for a further period topermit cooling of the clothes therein.

3. The laundry machine as defined in claim 2 wherein said substantiallyhorizontally disposed perforated rotary receiver is provided with aplurality of circumferentially spaced, radially outwardly opening,hollow, perforated fins projecting inwardly from the inner surface ofsaid receiver and extending longitudinally thereof, said fins eachprojecting inwardly approximately one-third the radius of said receiverand having sharply beveled ends to afford relatively unobstructedregions in the respective end portions of said receiver, said finsadapted to carry a charge of clothing to be washed upwardly togetherwith a substantial portion of the water and to drop such clothes in agenerally vertical direction from the upper part of said receiver as thereceiver turns.

4. A combination washer and dryer including a horizontally disposed tubhaving end walls and a cylindrical side wall, said side wall having airand water inlets in its upper portion, an elongate substantiallyhorizontally disposed basket having end walls and a perforated annularside wall rotatably supported in said tub and adapted to receive clothesto be washed, constant speed drive means adapted to rotate said basketat sub-centrifugal speed and tumble the clothes therein, water supplymeans operative to supply a charge of water to the basket through saidwater inlet and said perforated side wall of said basket, a timeroperative to de-cnergize said drive means after a predetermined washingperiod, means on the control of said timer and operative to remove waterfrom the machine, drying means rendered operative by the timer after thewater is removed from the machine, said drying means including an airinlet manifold communicating with said air inlet opening, a burner inthe manifold to heat the air therein, and a blower adapted, when thedriving means is actuated, to draw heated air from said manifolddownwardly through said inlet opening and through the perforated basketand clothes therein, said timer re-energizing the drive means after thewater is removed, means related to the timer for stopping furtheroperation of the timer shortly after the drying means is put intooperation, and heat responsive means related to the timer and adjustablyoperative to response to machine temperature to shut ofi? the dryingmeans and start the timer again when the desired temperature is reachedin the machine, the timer thereafter causing the drive means to rotatethe basket for a further period to permit cooling of the clothestherein.

5. A combination washer and dryer including a horizontally disposed tubhaving end walls and a cylindrical side wall, said side wallhaving'circumferentially spaced air and water inlet openings in itsupper portion and a sump in its lower portion, a substantiallyhorizontally disposed, cylindrical basket having end walls and aperforated annular side wall rotatably supported in said tub and adaptedto receive the fabrics to be washed, electrically operated drive meansadapted to rotate said basket at a-constant sub-centrifuging speed totumble the fabrics therein, water supply means operative to dischargewater into the tub and including an electrically operated water valveconnected with a suitable water supply, a delivery tube extending fromsaid water valve to the top of the tub and a nozzle at the end of thetube and directing a spray of water through the water inlet opening andthrough the perforations in the basket when the valve is actuated, atimer operative to de-energize said drive means after a predeterminedwashing period, electrically operated pumping means under control ofsaid timer and operative to remove water from the tub and including anelectrically driven pump connected with said sump, electrically operateddrying means adapted to conducted heated air through the basket andclothes for drying the washed clothes and rendered operative by thetimer after the water is removed from the machine, said drying meansincluding an air inlet manifold open to atmosphere and communicatingwith the air inlet opening, an electrically controlled burner in themanifold to heat the air therein, and anair duct communicating with thesump and projecting upwardly therefrom to terminate above the normalwater level in the tub, an electrically driven blower at the upper endof the duct and adapted when energized by the timer to draw heated airfrom the manifold downwardly through the inlet opening and through theperforated basket and the fabrics therein, means related to the timerfor stopping further operation of the timer shortly after the dryingmeans is put into operation, and heat responsive means related to thetimer and adjustably operative in response to machine temperature toshut off the drying means and start the timer again when the desiredtemperature is reached in the machine, the timer thereafter causing thedrive means to rotate the basket for a further period to permit coolingof the fabrics therein.

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